Last One Standing
by B. Woods
Summary: They say time heals all wounds, well then I guess my wounds are timeless. But hey, they'll make one hell of a story to tell.


**CHAPTER ONE: INTO THE FOX'S DEN**

**READ & REVIEW PLEASE!!! **I've got cupcakes for those who do!! Ok guys, idk why but this idea popped into my head so this is jus a prolouge to it all!! But it's tight, I'm sure yall love it!! =]

d-_-b

"Hello!" A small innocent child of no more then six years shouted, her voice bouncing of the metal pipes of the sewar tunnel she was walking in. "Someone!!" She called hugging herself, an unsettling cold coming down upon her. "Anyone?" She whimpered, this deathly silence slowly suffocating her. "Daddy!" She murmured quietly to herself, wishing nothing more then that it was her daddy's strong, warm arms wrapped around her and not her cold, goosebumped ones.

"Dad-" The word died in her throat as wave of unbelievely killer intent filled her senses wholely, freezing her in place and quickly and completely taking over. Her mind, so drunk with the killer intent didn't register as a large furred tail coiled about her small frame, slowly dragging her into the darkness, two bright fiery red eyes the only thing a glow in the mist of it all.

**"How did you get here?!" **A voice boomed, however sounding more like a whisper against her dulled ears. **"ANSWER ME CHILD!!"** The voice thunder, the killer intent increasing. She let out a barely audible whimper before her body went limp into the soft fur of the furry tail. "**Weak little-" **The words were replaced by a growl before the killer intent started to recede, it's intense influence over her mind slowly draining away.

The girl shook her head slowly, shaking off the last bits of the killer intent. **"How did you get here?!?"** The voice questioned again, it's powerful voice drumming against her ears. "I-I-I u-u-used my c-c-clan ju-jutsu." The girl whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks. Now that her senses were restored, she could fully sense the danger she was in and it scared her like nothing has or ever will scare her. **"What's your name child!?" **"I-I-Ino Y-Yama-Yamanaka." She sniffled. **"Yamanaka?! The mind walkers, that Yamanaka?!" **The voice asked, the tinyiest bit of curiousity and glee in it's voice. Ino nodded, to afraid she choke on her words and die.

**"Do you wish to live girl?"** The voice boomed, the bright fiery red eyes even more alight then before. Ino nodded again, she wanted more than to live. The voice gave a low, daunting chuckle before the furred tailed quickly enclosed about her, squeezing the breath right out of her. She closed her eyes as the last remants of life started to fade. '_Daddy.'_

d-_-b

"And how did class go?" Sarutobi asked glancing up from his work at the small blonde boy who sat before him. "It was okay." Naruto shrugged. In truth it had been horrible, the teachers had been really mean to him, the lunch lday once again refused to feed him and the other kids wouldn't let him play with them...just like yesterday and the day before that. "I-" "Ahhhhhh!!" Naruto screamed in pain as he fell from his chair clutching his stomach. "Naruto!" Sarutobi was by the boy's side in a matter of seconds. "My stomach!!" Naruto whimpered, tears pouring from his eyes. Sarutobi furrowed his brow as he pulled up the boy's shirt.

"The seal?" Sarutobi breathed staring in shock and slight wonder at the seal that had been tattooed to Naruto. It had turned a bright red and was slowly disappearing. "Sir, what's happening?" Sarutobi looked up at the two ANBU who were also bent over the crying boy. "I don't know." Sarutobi said returning his attention back to the blonde headed boy. And in truth he didn't, but he did know that if the seal disappeared completely...he didn't even want to think of the horror...not again.

"Hmhmm." Ino mummured getting up rubbing her eyes. A rush of relief filled her small heart as her eyes landed on the field of flowers she had been laying in. It was all a bad dream. "INO!!" Before Ino could turn to see who called her name, she was tackled to the ground by a blob of pink colored hair. "I was scared cause you wouldn't wake up!!" The blob cried into her shoulder. "I'm fine Sakura." Ino said wrapping her arms around her best friend in the world. "I-I-I thought you were dead!" Sakura said hugging Ino tighter, afraid if she ever let go, Ino would be lost for ever. "I'm fine." Ino said reassuring the pink haired girl.

"You promise you'll never leave me?!" Sakura picking her head up off Ino's shoulder and looking into Ino's bright blue eyes. "I promise." Ino said smiling. "Now stop being a cry baby and let's go get some ice-cream!" Ino said teasing the pink haired girl. "Ice-cream!" Sakura said getting up and wiping her eyes. "Race ya there!" Ino said already taking off. "Hey!!" Sakura yelled running after Ino.

Naruto blinked, the fuzzies slowly fading as the world becoming clearer. "Your awake." Naruto jumped at the voice and quickly backed up. "It's just me Naruto." A shadowed figure said stepping into the light of the moon, a bear mask on their face. "Beary." Naruto said relaxing a bit. Bear or Beary as Naruto called him was one of the few people who was actually nice to him. "Yes, how do feel?" Bear asked moving closer to Naruto. "My stomach feels better." Naruto said rubbing his tummy. "That's good." Bear said taking a seat on the couch Naruto had been sleeping on. "Where's the old man?" Naruto asked looking around the Hokage's office to see no Hokage. "He went out for a bit. He'll be back later." Bear said ruffling Naruto's hair.

"What time is it?" Naruto asked yawning. "Time for you to go home." Bear said. "Oh." Naruto frowned, his shoulders sagging. He didn't want to go home, the people there would yell bad things at him and would break into his place an wreck it at least twice a month. "Or, if you like, you could spend the night here. I'm sure the Hokage won't mind." Bear suggested. "Really?!" Naruto asked, his mood instantly perking up. "Yeah really." Bear said smiling under his mask. "I wanna stay here!" Naruto said.

"Hungry?" Bear chuckled when Naruto's stomach growled. "Yes." Naruto said, a blush on his face more illuminating than the moon. "Come on, I'll make you some ramen." Bear said getting up. "Yes!!" Naruto said jumping up, his favorite meal was ramen! Bear smiled as the young blonde boy proceeded to do a small happy dance. He was no more a demon then the sun a curse from the heavens.

d-_-b

"La la la la." Ino quietly hummed to herself as she braided her flower crown. She'd always _'dream' _she was in a field of flowers, just like she did every night before falling asleep. This illusioned field was her little safe haven, nothing bad could happen here! "I wonder what Sakura dream's about at night?" Ino wondered aloud as her small little hands weaved the flower's stems together.

'_I wonder what Naruto dreams about?'_ Ino thought, shuddering at the bad dream she had about entering Naruto's mind to find that evil thing. "He must be really sad." Ino said frowning. She hated it when people were sad. "I know! I'll bake him some cookies! Cookies make everything better!" Ino said smiling. "Yeah, that's what I'll do." Ino said yawning. "Time for bed." Ino said getting up and placing her flower crown atop her head. She giggled before skipping towards her mind's gateway, not notcing a pair of bright red eyes staring after her.

Naruto sighed as he watched the other kids play. He wanted to join, but he knew they would never let him, they never did. "Cookie?" "Huh?" Naruto looked up to see a sugar cookie and behind the cookie, was that blonde girl...Yamanaka or something like that. "Cookie?" The girl said shoving the cookie at him again. "Is it poisoned?" Naruto asked out of reflex. He was so use to the old ladies in town giving him poisoned baked goods. "No silly." The girl said giggling. "I baked them all by myself and I didn't put any poison in them." The girl said giving him a big smile.

"Thank you." Naruto said returning the smile and taking the cookie. "Your welcome. I'm Ino Yamanaka." The girl said sticking out a hand. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'ma be the next Hokage!!" Naruto said jumping up from the swing and flexing his non-exsistence muscles. "My daddy says you gotta be really strong and promise to protect everyone to be the Hokage." Ino said sitting down in the soft grass.

"Everyone?" Naruto asked, thinking of alot people he really didn't want to protect. "Well yeah, Kohona isn't just a few people. Kohona is everyone. And the Hokage protects us all because he loves every single thing that makes up Kohona! Everything!" Ino said stretching her arms out. "Don't you have someone you want to protect?" Ino asked. "No." Naruto said shaking his head. "What about your mommy and daddy?" Ino said cocking her head in confusion.

"I don't have a mommy and daddy." Naruto said plopping down on the grass in front of her. "Why?" Ino asked. "I don't know." Naruto said shrugging. "Well I don't have a mommy either. She left me and my daddy when I was four." Ino said frowning. That had been a turning point in her young life. "Oh, well when is she gonna get back?" Naruto asked, now he was the one confused. "I don't know, but I kinda don't want her to come back." Ino said shrugging. "But why? She's your mommy?" Naruto asked, really not understanding how she couldn't want her mommy home. He'd love it if his mommy came back!!

"I know, but she hurt my daddy alot. And..." Ino shook her head. She hated thinking about her mommy. "Hey you wanna go fishing?" Naruto asked quickly, seeing the pain the last subject was causing her. "I don't know how to fish." Ino said making face. "Come on, I'll teach ya." Naruto said jumping up and shoving his forgotton cookie in his mouth before grabbing her hand and pulling her up too.

"Look I got one!!" Naruto said holding up a medium sized fish. "Bring it here before-" Ino stopped mid-sentence as the fish slipped from Naruto's hand and back into the river. "Hehe, you gotta hold it tight!" Ino said giggling. "Man! That was my dinner!" Naruto said pouting. "Well you wanna come over to my place to eat?" Ino asked getting up. "Really?" Naruto asked, his mood instanly brightening. "Yeah, I'll make spagetti and meat balls." Ino said smiling. "What's that?" "You don't know what spagetti and meatballs is?" Ino asked incredulously. "No." Naruto said shaking his head. He had been surviving on ramen and whatever he could get his hands on for the last few years. "Come on, I'll show you." Ino said waving him in.

d-_-b

"Achhooo!" "Here drink this." "Thank you." Naruto said taking the small cup witht he purple stuff and downing it in one go. "And then we went to her place and she made me some spagetti and meat balls and they were really, really, really, really good!! And after we played hide and seek and then we went to bed." Naruto said continuing on in his story. "That's a very amazing story Naruto." Sarutobi said smiling. He was more then overjoyed that Naruto finally had made a friend. "Yeah, and she even said we could play today...achhooo!" "Oh no, I don't think you can play today." Sarutobi and opening his draw and pulling out another box of tissues.

"What!! But I- acchhooo!" Naruto covered his mouth and sneezed into his shirt. "Your sick Naruto, and if you and Ino play, then you'll make her sick. And then neither of you can play." Sarutobi said explaining. "But I wanted to-" Naruto quickly grabbed a tissue before sneezing into it. "I know you wanted to play, but your sick. After your all better, you can play with Ino all you want okay?" Sarutobi said leaning back in his chair and giving the boy a heart warming smile. "Okay." Naruto said frowning. "Bear, could you escort Naruto home for me?" Sasrutobi said turning to the masked man next to him. "Of course Lord Hokage." Bear said bowing.

"Bye Old Man!" Naruto said waving one last time. "Goodbye Naruto." Sarutobi said returning the wave. "Ino, I believe she's Inochi's daughter." Panther commented. "Yes, I've met her before. She's a very nice girl." Sarutobi said looking out his window. "I think she'll do Naruto alot of good." He said smiling. "She looks alot like her mother." Panther said turning to gaze out the window also. "Don't let Ino hear you say that." Sarutobi said remembering the sad look the girl wore for more than month after her her mother had left. "Do you think she and Naruto can really be friends?" Panther asked. "I hope so. I hope so."

d-_-b

"Naruto looked so happy yesterday...I think it be the first time I've ever seen him smile." Ino said to herself as she gazed up at the passing clouds. She was once again back in her dreamt of flower field thinking over what had happened yesterday. "I hope he gets better." Ino said remembering over hearing one of the Hokage's office workers saying he was sick and had a cold. "I should make him some chicken noodle soup and bring it to him tomorrow!" Ino said sitting up.

**"Ino." **

Ino twisted her head at the voice and frowned when she saw nothing. She shrugged before turning back around, and a gasp escaped her lips. "No." Ino said shaking her head. For the second time in a few short hours, Ino found herself once again in the sewars. **"Yes." **Ino twirled around to see large red fox curled up in her flower field where the sewars ended.

"Who you?" Ino asked backing up.**"Kyuubi, the Great Nine Tailed Fox Demon of East." **The fox said uncurling it's nine tails for emphasize. "But..." Ino grasped her head, it was starting to hurt. "Your dead. Daddy said the fourth Hokage killed you." Ino said looking up at the fox. **"That damned idiot couldn't kill me!! He simply imprisoned me inside of some human boy." **Kyuubi said as one of his tails extending towards her. Ino whimpered in fear and took a few more steps back.** "But soon, very very soon, I'll be free once again."** Kyuubi said baring his fangs. **"And all because of you Ino Yamanaka." **Kyuubi said as his tail quickly snatched the girl up.

"A-Are y-you go-going to k-kill me?" Ino asked as tears built up behind her eyes.** "Eventually, but for now, your safe."** Kyuubi said resting the girl down.** "Now go to bed. You have a lot to do tomorrow."** Kyuubi said before disappearing, leaving nothing but confusion and fear behind in the young blonde girl.

**__**

"And all because of you Ino Yamanaka."

"All because of me?"

**END CHAPTER ONE: INTO THE FOX'S DEN**

Okay ppl a few facts 1: NO Ino is not the new container, I'll explain in later chapters hehe! 2:....Well there is no 2 soooo yeah okay...bye


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